Of Witches and Wolves
by NewDawnFox
Summary: A ranger whose only thought is to find his boy and a witch who is as cold as ice. What could they have to do with each other? find out in this story. co written with my sister.
1. Chapter 1

**An:I don't own Ranger's apprentice, that honor belongs to John Flanagan**

Of Witches and Wolves

Chapter 1

Marshes

As the war with Morgarath finished, Halt was shoving his way through the field of non moving wargals as he desperately searched for Will. The boy that had come to mean so much to him. More than all the people in the world. More than his king that he would defy to get him back. More than his first apprentice Gilan and for sure more than his idiotic, hair - brained commandant Crowley.

He remembered the night that he and Gilan had found out that Will had been taken by the Skandians. How he had seen a sad and sorry looking ranger at the sentry post and how he had nearly begged to go across the fissure after him. Gilan, he knew saw Will as his little brother and how much Gilan had blamed himself for that loss.

Halt thought now as he made it on to the open meadows, he remembered saying to Gilan " do you think for one moment that I don't want to tear that plateau apart stone by stone until I find Will? but you and I took an oath when they gave us these silver oak leaves and now we have to live up to it" and how tears had fallen that night from both of them for the boy they both cared about so much.

Then Halt heard a weak cry that pulled him from his memories. It was a Skandian, fatally injured, slumped against a tree. From the blood that was pouring out of him, it was easy to see that he did not have very long left to live. The cry came from him because he had dropped his heavy sword and was to weak to go and get it. Halt knew now from looking at this pathic man that what he knew of Skandian belief was true. That Skandians believed that they needed to die with their weapons in hand in order to get into Valhalla.

But this one was too weak to hold his any longer. Halt hated these pirates with a passion. He knew what they did to young men on their ships, instead of using the females that they captured, knowing that they will get more for them if they are whole. Boys were a another matter it was better for their owners if they were broken.

Then Halt remembered that Horace had said that Will and Evalyn had been taken by Skandians. Halt wondered maybe he could get his answers. So he gave to sword back to the dying man in hopes that he would think he would give him what he wanted to know.

"The boy, where is he?" Halt asked hoping that Will had not been touched but known that the opposite was more likely. when he did not get an answer Halt shook the dying man.

"Oh the boy, the innocent boy we took back in Celtica? well let's just say not so innocent now" said the Skandian with a dark chuckle. He had remembered the courage but mostly he remembered the boy's screams as they took him for hours on end. No the boy was not so innocent any more and very broken.

Halt clenched his fists with the need to hit something when he realized what they must have done to Will. Then knowing the answers were more important right now than hitting the man that had done that to his boy, he said again "where is he?"

"Well" the Skandian thought "I do have to give him some thing for finding my sword". Then he said "the marshes," he choked out then he gathered up last of his strength "through the marshes to the ships" and with that he died.

Halt ran to Abelard who had been grazing quietly and vaulted into the saddle. The marshes were a bad place to go through, too many places for you to sink into. He knew a lot of people avoided the marshes but rangers were different and so were their horses. Ranger horses were sure footed and fast and the path to the beach was easily seen.

Halt could smell salt in the air as he came closer to the end of the path. He had to get to the beach soon other wise, he would be gone, taken to the snow bound land of Skandia, where he would be sold as a slave and they would do who knows what to him and as for the princess it could be worse.

The sand dunes soon joined the grasses of the marshes and as Halt galloped his horse, he leaned forward urging him to go faster as he could now see the ship anchored off the shore and down by the water's edge Halt could see Will and the others boarding a small boat.

"Will!" Halt shouted as with hands and knees he urged Abelard onwards. It was that shout and the horse's drumming hooves that alerted the pirates. One of them quickly picked up Will and held a weapon to his neck.

Halt slowed Abelard down as he came into easy arrow range. Halt knew he would have to take his time and make sure that he did not hit Will, but with that pirate holding that sword at Will's neck It would make getting of a shot hard even of him.

"Stand down ranger or by Hergel's long beard, the boy dies right here in front of you" growled out the pirate, then he raised the weapon higher drawing blood from Will's neck. The boy's eyes were full of tears.

"Please do not hurt him. I will lower my weapon, now release the children" Halt said.

Will was lowered to the ground but not released as the Skandian said "no I don't think so, these two will fetch a high price at the slave markets seeing how young they are"

Halt knew this but still he had to try so he said "please release them and I will offer myself instead" before he was cut of by an angry man.

"No the slaves go with us" said the man who was holding Will until one of the other spoke "Erak maybe we should listen to the ranger if we try and take off with these two ranger will most likely shoot us down before we take another step"

"You maybe right there Svengal but I will not loose such a prize" said the lead Skandian with a thoughtful look on his face.

Halt now knew he would not get both of them back but maybe he could save at least one of them and with a little bit of luck he could save the other when they landed, so which made him come up with this plan.

"Fine, how about this" Halt started to say and when he had their full attention he continued "myself for the girl"

**An: Was that good? it was written mostly by my older sister when she found my first chapters of "the changeling" on my computer.**

**review**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Shore to ship

" Jarl maybe you should take this deal. The girl not worth as much as the boy anyway and the witch is always wanting older slaves for her experiments. I don't want to go up against her again the last one who did, well let's just say they should not have bothered" said Svengal the jarl second in command.

"Too True" Erak thoughtfully then said "ranger we will take that deal. Leave all weapons with the horse and start to walk towards us, as soon as you are here we will release the girl. She can take the horse to where ever she wants to go after we leave"

As Halt did as Erak had told him, he heard Abelard give a soft rumble which meant another person was nearby and by the way Abelard had just rumbled that person was probably a ranger and if it was who he thought it was this would go better than what he thought. Halt knew that he and Will would be able to get way right now.

Halt neared the Skandians he kept a straight face he could not let on what he knew. As they released Evalyn and they passed by each other he whispered to her " don't worry princess. Will and I will be alright" he saw the girl's eyes widen as he continued to walk to the Skandian pirates that still held Will.

As Halt hands were being bound so he would not act on being so near to them, Halt looked down at the small apprentice that was standing by his side. Halt could see the wounds on his wrists as it was obvious that Will had tried to free his hands from the bonds. There were cuts and bruises all over his body as the signs of torture were plan to see.

"Halt I..." Will started to say before being backhanded into the boat and the skandian picked up his heavy booted foot and placed it on Will's chest and said "be quiet". Halt got into the boat too even though he wanted to take the pirate a part. All he could do was pull Will up to his feet. With a glare at the pirates the two rangers sat down. Halt circled the small boy with his arms as the skandians started to row away from the shore.

"Come on" Halt thought

Then all of a sudden a horse's hoof beats could be heard coming up from the end of the beach where the ground was rocky giving the horse greater speed than Halt's horse had. Halt smiled he was right, it was Gilan. His horse blaze was surging all the time in order to get to them. Gilan was riding without reins as he fired arrow after arrow at the group in the boat.

One of the pirate oarsman gave a noise of surprise and fell over board and did not move again as he sank into the sea. Another was hit in the arm so that pirate was out of the picture too as picking up an oar was out of the question.

The jarl Erak ordered the remaining pirates to pull like hell as it was obvious that if that ranger got too close he will kill them all in order to get the others back. And with that the skandians that were left pulled like the devil was after them with all the monsters at his command going to pull them down to hell.

"Will curl in close to me. We have to give Gilan the biggest target he can have" Halt said and as Will did what he asked Will knew that Halt was right and he knew what Gilan was thinking. Gilan was afraid of hitting them, also he knew that Gilan needed to get closer so he could pick off the oarsman one at a time before the boat got to far away.

Halt and Will watched as blaze bounded into the sea until she was shoulder height and very deep but still Gilan tried to keep firing at the boat. Will could see from his position by Halt that the boat was now out of Gilan's range. As the boat drew up by the wolfship, Will knew that, that night a few days ago was going to be repeated many times over and over again until they got where they were going and there was nothing that Halt could do about it.

Back on shore Gilan had not given up just yet even as he watched Halt and Will being hauled up to the wolfship he had told himself he would do anything to get them back. That they were his family so now he took aim at the wolfship itself. With in the space of seconds, three of the crew were dead, another two were injured.

Will chuckled a little as he watched the rest of the skandians flinging themselves flat on the deck as more arrows flashed over head. He saw Erak lift his head a little to see if the ranger was out of arrows and nearly got one between the eyebrows. Halt knew it was time for their escape that as long as Gilan kept up the pressure, he and Will could make a swim for it.

"Will now let's jump and swim for it. Gilan will kept us covered only for a little longer so we must go now" said Halt as he prepared to jump over board only to stop as he realized that Will had been grabbed before he could get to the side of the boat and Will was now not going any where.

"Halt I am sorry that I hesitated" Will said. he felt a deep shame that he had let some one he cared about so much, down. And as he looked into Halt's face he saw no disappointment there only a gentle smile and a caring look.

As Will was released, he slid to the deck of the ship. Halt again placed his arms around him. Will was horrified by the turn of events, ones that meant he and Halt would possibility be slaves forever. But he also knew he had to believe in Halt, that he would find a way to get them away from here.

Far a way a very wet ranger sat on his equally wet horse watching his family sail away. His eyes stung with the tears that would not stop falling he called to them over and over not to give up that he would move heaven and earth until they were together again.

On the ship Halt comforted a frightened boy from the looks that the pirates were giving him. The boy would most likely be a night time visitor to many of the crew before the journey was over, and his heart ached over what was going to happen to him.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

**An: how was that? most of that was my older sister's work. From what I have read so far of her plans I might have to change the rating but I'll try and rein her in. oh and if you want to know what I am doing check my profile.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Storm

A few days latter in the hull of the ship, Hat sat looking out of a small window watching as the seagulls flew past on their way home. For him and Will Halt knew that there was every possibility that they would never see home again. Will for now was asleep Halt could tell by the way he had placed himself that he was still in pain from the pirate last night taking pleasures with him.

Halt had tried to step in and stop them but from a blow he received he blacked out, only to wake a little latter in a rage and he saw Will next to him curled in on himself his clothes torn in places and when Halt touched him the boy's response was a scream of pain.

Halt felt a small shaking hand touching his own. Halt gripped it.

"Halt why did they do that to me? I tried to fight back and I knew you did but still it did not matter to them. They wanted to do that so they took me and they did it so many times last night" Will whispered. Halt gently ran a hand through the boy's hair, to keep him comfortable and calm as he was sure the memories would hit soon.

Halt could see that the boy had suffered and although he did not have an answer for him he could tell him some thing "Will I doubt you were the first boy they used as they traveled and I doubt you will be the last but I will do my best to make sure that you don't suffer too much for it" Halt said kindly, for he could see that Will's eyes were full of pain now as he realized that last night would be repeated and some confusion.

"I understand Halt" Will said sitting up a little now and leaning against the wall "but Halt when they were doing it, even though I did not want it, it felt right. How can that be Halt? I mean are we not suppose to like girls?" Will said now looking at Halt in the eyes. Halt's eyes now widened and then he sighed and said "Will yes we are suppose to like women but some times that is not the case, I myself am like this. Meaning I like men but do not be afraid of me Will, I will never try anything with you unless you ask it of me"

"Okay, my god, is that why you have not had a wife before and I could never be scarred of you Halt and do you really think I like men?" said Will now curling up against Halt's body. He needed the comfort this man could bring.

"It is possible Will. Many people in Araluen will not understand that. Many hide it. The only people I have told besides you, are Gilan, Pauline and Crowley no one else knows. They like you don't have a problem with it and if you are like me I am sure your friends once we get back to them Will will not have a problem with it either" Halt told him.

Then suddenly they heard shouts from up on the deck, as Svengal came down and took them up to the deck and tied them to the mast. The wind was blowing and they could see a dark line of clouds on the horizon. A storm was on its way.

Will huddled close into Halt as the wind blew now like a savage beast, that was trying to push them over board. It howled and screamed at them in raw animal fury, unlike any thing they had ever know before.

As the first mountainest wave hit, Will screamed and Halt just tightened his grip on the mast and the boy and thankful that they were not going to be seasick. As the waves kept hitting the boat one after the other the ship just rode them out. Then one wave broke onto the ship that sent one of the pirates over board, that had Will screaming in absolute terror and nothing Halt could do to stop it.

For now Halt was trying to be strong for Will, he had to believe that the Skandians knew how to handle a storm. He could see Will looking at him weakly and he knew he should say something but he knew that until the storm past Will would not believe him.

Halt heard Will say "oh no, please, please, let it end" the boy was moaning and Halt knew like Will that he just wanted it to stop too. To end, no matter how that end was met.

Will and Halt heard Erak say "now pull together and she is taking it well" as the movement became more controlled and the ship was not fighting the sea any more.

Halt and Will's arms went around each other finding comfort and courage from each other. Will was softly calling to him as wave after wave hit the ship but Halt now knew that the worst was over and they would survive it. After more days, they past from the narrow sea into the edge of the endless ocean. Will and Halt, wet, exhausted and cold finally slept.

When they awoke the next day, they found they were in a natural harbor with a rocky headlands and a beach, that now as they looked on it had huts on the shore.

"Halt is this Skandia?" Will asked and Halt just raised an eyebrow at him. _How could this boy be so stupid _Halt thought. And shook his head at the idiot.

"Will this isn't Skandia. It must be Skorghijl, the ship must need fixing after that storm we just went through" Halt told him.

Some how Will knew that this place was not going to be a safe harbor for him.

**An: like it? I had to up the rating for what is coming up is pretty could and I was not so sure that it could come under the rating it once had.**

**review **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Shell Island

As soon as Will's feet touched the ground. He found he could not stay on his feet, he fell over every time he tried to get up, as it seemed that the ground seemed to be moving. He looked over at Halt, who had grabbed hold of the ship's side to stop himself also from falling over.

"What is it? Halt?" Will asked him.

Will looked back up at the ship, thinking that he should climb back in it, maybe then this feeling would stop. Halt for his part wanted to answer him but his stomach was feeling pretty nauseous and he could not trust what would come out of it.

"Got the land - wobbles, Rangers?" said Svengal before lifting them both up and sling one over each shoulder and started to walk to the place where he would place them on the bench in front of the huts.

Once they were there Halt looked over at a very green Will before saying " Will we will be alright again in a few hours and before you ask it, its caused by staying on board a ship for more than a few days"

"So its like you still think you are still on a ship? is that right Halt?" Will asked, he was starting to feel better, not so sick.

"Right Will" Halt replied in kind.

Soon they were told to do all sorts of jobs before they were allowed to eat and turn in for the night. Will's small hammock lay next to Halt's their room too small for the pirates to fit in there with them. Will's body was shaking with fear that they would come for him tonight only to have his hand grabbed by Halt's. Will looked into those dark eyes and found comfort in them. He knew that once they reached Hallasholm's slave market Halt would find a way to free them if not he knew that they would be sold to different masters and then there was that witch, which the pirates talked about in fear. Would Halt or himself be sold to her? he hoped not.

His biggest hope was that Halt would find a way to get the two of them back home. His worst fear was being alone and trapped with the Skandians and they were... Will shook his head at the thought. It would do him no good to think of what they do to him. Luck was with him they did not come for him that night.

Halt for is part was trying to stay strong for Will. He had seen the boy after one of those monsters had finished with him and it pained him greatly that he could not do any thing about it. He had been giving Will warmweed that he had hidden away from the pirates, to lesson the boy's pain, which the drug seem to help and even though he was greatful to have it he did not want to give him to much or else Will would become addicted to it.

Even with the jobs they did each day, Halt would have the two of them run laps around the beach and other things to keep fit. Halt knew this helped in two ways firstly it made Will sleepy so he did not feel what they did as much and he knew if they made their bodies as fit as they could be that when a chance came to escape they would be able to take it.

"Halt do you think Gilan might come after us? I mean I know you will find a way to get us out of this but do you think he might come anyway?" Will said on one of their morning runs.

"I believe he will Whether we are free or not. You know him he never forgave himself for leaving you Will. He thinks of you as a brother, but still he blames what happened on his desertion" Halt told him as they sat down on the beach cooling down from their run.

Will nodded and then he saw some thing in the harbor that he did not like.

"Will what's wrong?" Halt said in a gentle tone, he knew the boy would not react like that if he had not seen some thing good.

"Halt I see a ship. Its coming into the harbor. I am scared. What if they are like this ship's crew? what if they are worse? I can't go through more of this to have them touch me, Halt I just can't" Will said sobbing his fears finally getting the best of him, only to have Halt place his arm around the boy's shoulder.

"Just stay close to me Will and also I will keep an eye on the new crew, but some ow I do not think they will come after you. The jarl of our ship will not let them, Will" Halt said as they watched the two captains greet each other.

Will saw their eyes look in his direction and he soon curled into Halt. His body shaking. Halt turned from the ship leaving pirates to his frightened apprentice behind him. Over the weeks that the boy had been with the Skandians it was clear that the boy had been broken and was a shell of himself.

Far away from the two rangers, the two Skandian captain were still talking as the rest of the other's crew was making sure that the ship was going no where.

"Slagor!" Erak said slapping him on the back "where the devil did you spring from?"

"We were heading back home when we were hit by the mother of all storms. Lost most of the newly caught slaves too" Slagor told him, then he went on to tell him about the rest of his misfortune, before saying "at least you have some thing to sale. The boy has been broken I trust?"

"Yes many times over. Why is that important ?" asked Erak, he had not been the one to do the braking through many types of torture but still he wondered why that was important for the boy to know his place.

"It is the reason I risked the storms of this year and why the boy must be fully broken. For Panis Raulum is coming to the markets this year looking for young boys and you know how he is" Slagor said looking at the boy again. Yes, even though Erak had said the boy was broken he and his men would make sure of it, he thought.

**An: turn of events for Will and Halt? maybe**

**Panis Raulum is said like this "Pan - nis" "Re - aul - um"**

**Review please**


	5. Chapter 5

**An: some warning, a hard chapter coming up. abuse implied.**

Chapter 5

Cries in the night

The crowded living conditions meant that Halt and Will had to share a Hammock. So on Halt's orders they acted like it was training exercise, one would sleep while the other would watch but always Halt made sure that Will was close to him, because with the crowding came the fighting, drinking and gambling. Halt had a bad feeling that because of the boredom that would hit the skandians soon and the frustrations of the two crews as they fix their ships that Will would soon be a target.

For now, the evening meal was over and there was a massive sack full of plates and other dinner things to clean. To clean them it was easy, just take them to the water's edge and use the salt water to clean them. Will looked over at Halt, he could tell that he was exhausted.

"I will do those, Halt, you can rest, besides I am younger"Will said adding a chuckle.

Halt for his part just raised an eyebrow and said " if you are going to laugh about it, you can do the rest of the weeks as well" Will nodded. Knowing he had just left himself open for that remark.

"Well I will say this for them, Halt. They are enthusiastic eaters and don't leave much on their plates" said Will as he took the sack down to the beach, leaving Halt to get some sleep that he had been craving all day.

Slagor licked his lips as he saw the young slave down by the water's edge, his mind on what he was doing. Slagor advanced on the boy "well, well, well... what do we have here? the younger slave all on his own. Erak said you are broken, I think not. Boys take him to the ship" he said as Will tried to fight and yell for help but it was not going to happen. Even Halt could not hear him from down here.

In the morning Halt was looking around for Will. The boy had not come back. Halt could see the calm faces of the skandian crew of Slagor's ship. He suddenly had a horrible thought. Halt went outside and gazed down to the spot that he and Will would take the washing up. The sack was still there. _ Will would not have left that there_ thought Halt. He turned his head left and right, Will was no where to be seen.

Halt then thought back to the calm faces of Slagor's crew and their looks at Will over the past days. Then it clicked and he raced down the breach to Slagor's ship, he quickly climbed in and down into the hold.

Halt searched from room to room until he came upon a room that smelt of blood, sweat and sex. He found Will naked on the floor, his clothes in the corner of the room. Halt gently picked Will up supporting the fragile body.

Halt saw a bowl of water on a table on the wall. so he sat on the chair nearby and cleaned Will up. He could see he had been crying all night, the bruises, cuts were nothing to the abuse his lower body had suffered.

"I failed you Will. I am sorry" he said, as memories of a small, busy figure, that asked too many questions and brought light and love into his heart. He remembered him as he cared for his horse Tug and the happiness that he had shown when he was told Tug was his own, Halt had known that Will had never had much of his own growing up in the ward.

Will had, had a lot of irrepressible spirit but also he had courage and ingenuity and loyalty. As Halt looked at Will, right now he could see he was a broken child, but what was lost could be recovered and he would see to it that Will would make a great ranger.

As Halt placed Will in the chair, he heard the boy gasp and try to move his hands to cover himself up, soft tears were falling from his eyes. Halt gently pulled Will's clothes back onto the shaking boy. Halt could feel his on eyes moisten with tears as he finished.

Will cried out, and Halt cradled the boy to his chest. Halt talked softly to Will telling him that he was here and that he would never leave him again. Halt carried Will to Erak's ship knowing that Will would be safer there. He also knew that he would likely be flogged within an inch of his life for not doing his jobs but Will was more important, Halt knew that he had to get the shivering boy warm, To help him survive the shock of what had just happened.

"Slave Halt where be you? you and that boy had better get here now" a skandian yelled out. It must have been coming from the beach, the sound was a bit far away to be coming from the deck of the ship.

Will's eyes flashed open but all he could see now was a dark shadow, and a pair of arms that were around him on the bed they were laying on. Then he heard Halt's voice talking to him, before everything faded to black.

Halt looked at the now sleeping apprentice, seeing that he was resting easier. He decided he would go and see what the shouter had wanted, but before he could even open the door, Jarl Erak stood there, whip in hand.

"Please my lord before you use that you must realize why I did not work today" Halt said clearly. He knew that the captain needed to see the truth and when Erak nodded he continued "Will was battered and raped to the point of death and I have been caring for him so that he will survive the shock of it"

"And who was it that laid him so low?" the skandian captain asked. He could now see the bruised and cut up boy sleeping in the bed. _Who ever did this will pay, they almost cost me money_ Erak thought.

"Have you seen how calm Slagor and his crew are this morning?"said Halt. Then he saw the Jarl's eyes widen. He could see the message had got home.

"Don't worry I will deal with this, and seeing as we are putting to sea tomorrow, your only job between now and when we land again in skandia, is to take care of the boy" said Erak before turning around and marching out of the door.

Latter on as Halt was getting Will to drink some water, the crack of a whip could be heard.

**An: poor Will but at least the skandian captain dealt with the horrible men that hurt him so bad. review please. **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Leaving and landing

"Halt I let my guard down, I didn't think" Will started to say. It had been a few days after they had left the harbor and this was the first time Will had been strong enough to say much of anything. It was had to think of what had happened, for both of them but mostly for Will.

His nightmares of darkened eyes and his body being in pain kept him awake most nights. Not that he wanted to sleep when the risk of attack was so near. Since waking Halt had not left his side, and some part of him realized that Halt probably blamed himself for what happened. But mostly Will blamed himself, that he could not see what was going to happen.

"Shhhh Will, its not your fault, or mine. Slavers are always hard on their captives, but I will promise I will get us home, dear one" Halt said gently after cleaning the wounds on Will's back, all the bruising and cuts were healing, so physically Will would be fine. The pain from the main bruising was the most troubling to the older ranger because this was a reminder of what they did.

Mentally would be another matter, the boy was broken. When ever a skandian came into the room, Will would try to hide and if he was touched by anyone other than Halt he would freeze and let them touch him how they wanted to, his body would even respond to their touch. Halt never let them in the room for long once he realized that was happening with Will. He knew he had to come up with a plan to get them away

"Halt" Jarl Erak said one day "how is the boy?" since the attack the skandian had been a little kinder, always stopping by, checking to see how he was and whether there was anything he could do. He even kept some of the more troublesome pirates away from the two rangers, some thing that Halt was very greatful for

"Physically he is better the wounds are healing nicely, there might not even be a scar. Mentally is another matter but for him to heal from that, he needs to go home and I know your not going to go that for us, are you Jarl Erak?" Halt said coolly. He knew that he would have to wait, Will panicked at the slightest sound now and sickened as he was by what had happened Jarl Erak was the only person right now that could help them.

"Halt I will do what I can to keep the two of you together. I have some contacts, I am sure that they will take the two of you and then you can do what rangers do best"said Erak, the last part he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh and what is that?" Halt asked

"What rangers do best is to disappear" he said and with that he left. Halt could still hear his soft chuckles as he walked away. He knew that given half the chance, no one in the world would catch those rangers if they got away and he was going to make sure of it. They both deserved to be home and happy with family and friends that loved them. Not in a cold room, in a place they did not know.

"Will it really be that simple? I...you get away? I don't think I will ..."Will started to say. Halt swiftly took the boy into his arms, only to have Will curl up into him.

"Will listen to me. No matter whether I can get away or not I will not leave you. We will come home together you must believe it and if Erak keeps his promise and keeps us together, I know we will be able to get away, but if we are a part no matter what I will find you. Where ever that might be" Halt said holding Will closer.

"I believe it and if we are not together I will do what ever I can to stay alive until we are" Will said laying his head on Halt's chest.

One month later Will and Halt were standing on the deck as the Skandians moved the ship under oars, as it worked its way through the fog that surrounded the skandian coast, which had them into the harbor an hour later.

Nestled under mountains the coastal town that hosted the slave markets, it consisted of wooden buildings that huddled the harbor. One stone building further on and one wooden sale yard. Smoke curled up from all but the stone building. Will felt large hands touching his own, as thick rope was being tied around them. Will looked over at Halt to find his hands were being bound as well.

Halt and Will were soon locked up in the stone building with heavy chains around their legs. Halt knew he could not get them away yet, his hope had to lay with the ship's captain. As he looked at the other captives, there was only a few Will's age. Some how Halt knew he and Will would not stay together long.

Erak was in the tavern, it was a smoke filled low ceilinged none too clean place but he knew that his friend like to come here a lot and he was right. For in the corner calling out blurred words was Stevedore. He was a fur trader and would always loose his slaves to the mountain's cold weather or the dangerous animals that frequent it. Erak made his way over to him if he could sell the two rangers to him, he was sure that they could get away.

"Stevedore, my old friend. How is business? plenty of bears I hope" Erak said, he knew that bear was Stevedore's favorite to hunt.

"Erak, my friend, take a seat. Not many bears this time of the season. Plenty of mountain cut though. Hoping for wolves next time. Lost my slaves to the cold a few nights ago" he said.

"So your up here for the markets then" Erak asked and when Stevedore nodded "well have I got a deal for you. Two Araluens, a man about forty or so and a boy fifteen, hunters themselves".

"Sounds good, I will say..."Stevedore started to say before his throat was closed over by a large hand and a dark look.

"Don't you know Jarl Erak, all children under the age of sixteen are mine and all men are hers"said a dark voice. Erak looked up to see Panis Rauly.

The next day Halt watched as Will and two other boys were pushed into the cage on the back of a wagon. Halt saw the man brush his hand on Will's lower back as he was put into the cage. Halt reached out threw the bars, fingers brushing Will's, giving him a silent promise that they would not be parted for long.

**An: now the real story starts, sorry it took so long to get here. more soon.**

**An2: the name is said like this Pan - is Rau - lly **

**Reviews make my day. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Witch Queen's Castle

That promise had been on Halt's mind a lot since Will had been taken over two weeks ago. The fear in Will's eyes as he was lead away, haunted him, disrupted his dreams. He could still hear Will's voice calling out to him, and his own answering back.

Now the men that were left were in a cage on the back of a wagon being taken to, who knows where, not that he could really tell. His head still hurt from where they hit him to knock him out, as he tried to run away as soon as the chains were off. he had been planing it as soon as he knew that they were coming for the lot of them, hoping that the confusion of the transfer would aid him in his escape.

He was still going to try again once they opened that door, the first time had not gone well but with over forty men in here, they were not going to be able to stop all of them if they tried to escape this cage. This time the confusion would work, there were no chains on their legs this time, he would get out and find Will and leave this land forever.

Then Halt saw it, a monster - like castle, but not like the ones he had known anywhere in the world. It was like something out of a creepy dream. It stood three stories tall and the roof was high and pointed at the moon or sun, depending on what time of the day it was, Halt guessed. A round tower was attached to the side of the building and strange colored smoke could be seen coming out of the window. There were huge old oaks that surrounded it on three sides.

As the wagon pulled up, Halt made himself ready to run. Then something happened, he could not move. It was like he had become a block of ice. Then she appeared.

She looked like she was in her late twenties or early thirties. She had a heart - shaped face with long red hair and brilliant Aqua colored eyes. She moved with a cat like grace, brushing her fingertips against one man. This man then shivered and fell to the floor in what looked like some sort of coma but he was clearly still awake.

Halt watched her touch one man after another again and again until she was near him. Halt had noticed that with some of the men, they had fallen straight away, while others had stood their ground against her touch, only to have themselves touched again and with that second touch, surrendering to her power.

Soon her hand brushed against Halt and he heard in his mind "you are fighting me, young one?" young one? how old was this person? Halt thought. then he felt the touch heat as the voice came again "I see a boy in your mind. He is the reason you fight. You love this boy. Hmm mm you may survive what I have in mind for you".

Halt felt the fingers and her mind leave him and he was found he was still on his feet. He was still going to run, he might be getting little dizzy, but after she had left the cage he was the only one still standing. Suddenly the dizziness became all consuming and he blacked out. When he woke, he found he was in a stone room with the others that had put up some kind of fight. Suddenly smoke filled the room, it smelt strange but before Halt could do anything about it, he was asleep.

But his dreams did not make any sense. Instead of his normal dreams about Will and the journey over here, he saw himself tied to a table, naked, as the witch (as Halt realized that was hat she was now) drew a strange kind of star on his chest. She said some kind of spell in a language that he had never hear before and then the star burnt into his chest and disappeared.

"Now for his animal side" she said, he heard her say. Then she forced him to drink this foul mixture that made his body feel like it was on fire, and his body then shook with the pain of it. It was during this, that Halt realized that this was not a dream and when most of the pain had past he heard her say again.

"Good, he survived both transformations unlike the others. Make sure he is chained up with the others that survived. For the collar, give him the mercury one, he will most likely be stronger than most, because his will is stronger than most. I don't need my new prize getting away from me before I have had a taste". Halt's mind had, had enough and he fainted away again.

Halt woke up some time later to find two large paws stretched out in front of him. He jumped up onto his paws and moved back frightened by what had happened, until he slammed into the wall and he could see his reflection in the windowed doors that led to the outside world.

Halt could see he looked like a normal wolf, but a lot bigger. He was dark brown colored with midnight colored eyes. His nose twitched and he could smell everything both inside the room and outside in the forest, he could tell what was human and what was not. As he looked around the room he saw things that he could never had seen, even as a young man. If Will could see him now? what would he think? if only...

Halt then suddenly felt pain again, his whole body was on fire with it and when he looked back at the window he could see a human looking back at him but it was not himself. Well, it was but it was himself when he was about twenty years old. His hair was now dark brown, the wrinkles that he had got over a lifetime of being a ranger were gone and he felt stronger than he had ever been before.

Then he smelt her, a strange other worldly smell and then he was back in his fur coat, wanting to kill her for doing this, and from the deep growls that were coming from around the room he was sure that he was not the only one to feel this way.

"So my wolves are now awake. I will tell you all now that there is no going back, this ability that I gave you all, is for all time. You will never grow a day older, never know death unless a wolf or I deal it to you. Your hearing, sight, smell in both your forms is heightened. You will serve me until I get rid of you. Fight if you wish, you will not win. Those collars around your necks were dripped in mercury or liquid silver if you must know. It is the only metal in the world that can hurt you because it can weaken or kill you now that you are wolves" she said before turning to one of the wolves, taking the chain off the wall and pulling him out of the room, soon deep howls and screams could be heard coming from the room above them.

Halt was not sure what she was doing to those wolves in the days that followed but it was not going to happen to him. He threw his weight against the chain and collar every chance he got. He did not care that he was a wolf now or that his human body was that of a young man, his promise, thats what drove him now, but with the silver collar on him he could not escape this hell no matter how much he wished it.

One night, he was asleep, dreaming as always that he had broken the chain and had saved Will and they were on their way home until something changed and his dream became something else. It became mucky and it was like he was looking from above.

He could see Will huddled on the floor, weeping. The clothes that he was dressed in were torn. His knees were drawn up and his arms wrapped around them. Then the scene changed again and he could see some one giving Will something to suck on, that makes him grow hard fast and he is soon screaming with the pain of it. Then he is picked up and taken out of the room and more screaming and moaning is heard.

Halt's eyes flashed open then. Those monsters were at it again, would they never stop hurting his boy but this time he was too far away to help him out. That's when his growls started up and he threw all he had against the chain.

He could feel the collar biting into his fur but not the skin, not yet anyway. Again and again he threw his new strength against the chain knowing that he must escape Will's life depended. He could feel something, that was not right, it was as if that dream gave him more than he had before. It was as if Will was lending his strength too. He slammed this strength into the collar until finally it broke and he crashed out of the window and off into the night.

Far away Panis Rauly was getting ready for a special trip. One that would see him in the land of make believe, of animal people that should not exist. His master lived there and had called him in. He decided if he had to go, he would take something to do on the weeks it would take to get there.

Lifting a small boy, that had worked so hard for him into the wagon. His eyes lingered over the young body. The boy had only been with him for a short time compared to others he had, had but he was easily his favorite to use. The boy was perfect when the spell took hold, he would freeze in the hard position and when touched him or used him, even though he would always call for someone called "Halt", the boy would go for hours.

Yes this would be great, although looking at the boy now, he could see he might only have a week or two left. The illness that eventually killed all of the boys that came to them, "the effect of the spell, the boy was dying", Panis thought. Still there was more fun to be had before he had to say goodbye to this pleasure boy.

To the boy in the wagon, he did not respond to the touch of his owner anymore right now, his body was still recovering from last night. He knew he had a drug in his mouth to deal with the pain of travel but for now his mind was on something much better. For he heard in his mind, something he had hope to hear for a long time.

"Hold on Will, I am coming"

**An: So what do you think of what happened to the two of them?**

**Review **


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